Thill-coupling.



No. 634,456., Patented Oct. 10, I899. H. HIGGIN.

THILL COUPLING.

(Applicatin filed Mar. 22, 1899.) {No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 534,456. Patented Oct. m, 399.

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THILL COUPLING.

(Application filed Mar. 22, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

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NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

HENRY HIGGIN, OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO THE HIGGIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

'THILL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 634,456, dated October 10, 1899.

Application filed March 2 1 3 9 9.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY HIGGIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, in the county of Campbell and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an antirattling thill-coupling from which the shafts or pole may be quickly and easily removed or replaced; and the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of a thill-coupling embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a vertical section corresponding to Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a horizontal section on line 4. 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a top plan View, on areduced scale, of the coupling as it appears with the shaft removed.

The reference-letter A denotes the front axle of a vehicle; B, a clip attached to the axle A; C C,clip-lugs to which draft-iron D of the thills or pole is attached; E, a couplingpin which serves to attach the draft-iron D to the clip-lugs C C; F, a rocking frame adapted to be mounted on lugs C C, and G a spring-tension lever pivoted in frame F. The shaft A, clip B, lugs C C, and draft-iron D are all old and of any ordinary construction.

At its end each draft-iron is provided with the usual sleeve cl,which is pivotally attached to the lugs C C by means of the coupling-pin E. The rocking frame F, preferably of the form shown in the drawings, is adapted to take over the outside of each lug C C and is provided with openings adapted to register with and large enough to permit the pin E to pass through the coupling-holes in the lugs. At the rear the rocking frame is provided with an arm f, extending downwardly between the lugs C C and havinglugsf, adapted to engage the under side of the lug connecting bar 0. The coupling-pin E is grooved at each end, as at e e, to receive the ends of the rocking frame F, which look it in position. The coupling-pin is preferably provided at one end with a head e, which serves to limit its motion in one direction, and the grooves are preferably beveled on the side $erial no, 710,065. (No model.)

away from the head, as at e 6 to form inclined planes with which the rocking frame may engage and force the pin home. I prefer also to bevel the end of the pin, as at a to facilitate insertion.

Depending from each end of the rocking frame F are hangers f to which the tensionlever is pivoted. The inner end of the tension-lever has frictional contact with the sleeves d of the draftiron. This pivotal mounting of the tension-lever and the frictional contact of its inner end with the sleeve 61 are preferably accomplished by means of a sleeve g, mounted on pivot g and provided with an upwardly-extending curved arm 9 adapted to frictionally engage the sleeve 01. The sleeve '9 has its lower central portion re moved, and the inner end g of the tension-lever passes between the upper central portion of the sleeve g'and the pivot 9 following closely the back of arm 9 Owing to its curvature and the proximity of pivot g the tension-lever G cannot be disengaged from arms g without straightening its curved inner end. This is quite suflicient to hold the tension-lever G in position. The outer end of the tension-lever is provided with a link 9 adapted to engage a lug b on clip B and lock it in its strained position.

It will be seen that when the tension-lever G is forced from its unstrained position, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3, to its strained position and there locked by means of link 9 as indicated in full lines, the rocking frame F will be rocked on the inner end of the lugsf until its ends engage the grooves c in pin E, looking it in position, and the arm will be tightly pressed against sleeve d, preventing all rattling in the coupling. When it is desired to change from shafts to pole, or vice versa, link is disengaged from lug b and the coupling-pin E is partially withdrawn, as shown in Fig 5, to permit the removalof the draft-iron D, one end being allowed to remain in engagement with one of the lugs C and rocking frame F, so as to hold the parts in position for the immediate reception ofthe substituted'draftiron sleeve. If in making the coupling the pin is not pushed entirely home, the ends of the rocking frame strike the bev'els and force the pin into its proper position, with its head resting snugly against the frame. The bevels also facilitate the withdrawal of the pin in uncoupling. In ordinary usage a simple link will lock the rear end of the tension-lever securely to the lug b; but to guard against the possibility of the tension-lever being forced up in rough usage by stiff bushes or other comparatively rigid obstructions, thereby leaving links 9 free to fall away from the lugs l), I prefer to construct the rear end of the tension-lever with its edges diverging at the point of coupling with the link, so that there is always a sort of wedge action tending to press the link forward and prevent its swinging away from the lug.

It will be seen that the coupling can be made or detached almost inst-anta-neously, that rattling is positively prevented, whether the parts are new or worn, that the parts are securely held against accidental displacement, and the method of coupling and uncoupling is so simple that anybody can easily use the device.

I claim- 1. The combination, with the axle-elip and d raft-iron of a vehiele,of a sleeve on the draftiron, a grooved coupling-pin adapted to lock the sleeve of the draft-iron to the clip-lugs, a rocking frame mounted on the coupling-pin in engagement with the clip-lugs, having holes adapted to register with the holes in the cliplugs and with the grooves or groove in the coupling-pin, and means for locking the rocking frame in engagement with the couplingpin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

J. The combination, with the axle-clip and f draft-iron of a vehicle, of a sleeve on the draftiron; at grooved coupling-pin adapted to lock the sleeve of the draft-iron to the clip-lugs; a rocking frame mounted on the lugs and adapted to engage the groove or grooves in the coupling-pin; and a tension-lever fulcru med in the rocking frame, having its inner end adapted to take against the sleeve of the draft-iron and its outer end free, but provided with means forlocking it in its strained position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with the axle-clip and draft-iron of a vehicle, of a sleeve on the draftiron; a grooved coupling-pin adapted to lock the sleeve of the draft-iron to the clip-lugs; a rocking frame mounted on the lugs and adapted to engage the groove or grooves in the coupling-pin; a tension-lever connected with the rocking frame and adapted to rock the frame into engagement with the coupling-pin and means for locking the tension-lever in its strained position, suhstantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with the axle-clip and draft-iron of a vehicle, of a sleeve on the draftiron; a coupling-pin provided withabeveled groove or grooves and adapted to lock the sleeve of the draft-iron to the clip-lugs; a rocking frame mounted on the lugs and adapted to engage the groove or grooves in the coupling-pin; and a tension-lever fulcrumed in the rocking frame, having its inner end adapted to take against the sleeve of the draftiron and its outer end free, but provided with means for locking it in its strained position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the axle-clip and d raft-iron of a vehicle, of a sleeve on the draftiron, a grooved coupling-pin adapted to lock the sleeve of the draft-iron to the clip-lugs, a rocking frame mounted on the lugs and adapted to engage the groove or grooves in the coupling-pin, a tension-lever fulcrnmed in the rocking frame, having one end adapted to take against the sleeve of the draft-iron and its other end provided with diverging edges, and a link adapted to detaehably connect the other end with the axle-clip, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination, with the axle-clip and draft-iron of a vehicle, of a coupling-pin provided with one or more grooves, a rocking frame adapted to engage the groove or grooves and provided with a downWardly-extending arm having lugs adapted to engage the under side of a bar connecting the clip-lugs, hangers on the rocking frame carryinga pivot-pin, a sleeve mounted upon the pivot-pin provided with an upwardly-extending arm adapted to bear upon the draft-iron, atension-lever having an upwardly-extending arm adapted to bear against the upwardly-extending arm of the sleeve, and means for locking the outer end of the tension-lever in its strained position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with the axle-clip and draft-iron of a vehicle; of the coupling-pin E; the rocking frame F, provided with armf carrying lugs f hangersf attached to the rocking frame; the sleeve g mounted on pivot g and provided with the arm 9 the tensionlever G the link 5 the diverging edges 9 and lug b, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY IIIGGIN.

Witnesses:

BRAYTON G. RICHARDS, THOMAS D. Connv. 

